This Isn’t Spinal Tap

By Lori Perkins

I went to the Thursday night ”advance” showing of Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, excited to see what Rob Reiner and the cast had done with this wacky collection of rock and roll eccentrics that had become a tag line to much of the late 20^th century (“it goes up to 11”).  I was surprised it was only playing in one of the movie theaters in my local chain and even more surprised when I walked into the after-dinner showing to see only one other patron.  I feared that my passion for this movie might not be shared with non-boomers, even though my adult son also loves the original.

But the reason the theater was almost empty was because the new film just isn't good.  It’s Ok, in the way that something should be watched on a streaming service, which would have been fine, had it not been released in theaters. It did not need a full screen, which really is too bad.

The set-up is a clause in the band’s management contract, which is inherited by the surviving daughter of their now deceased manager, calling for one final concert, which they come out of retirement for.  Camoes by many of our favorite stars from the original are featured but they are brief interviews, as opposed to wild antic moments like the original.

And there are moments, like the audition for the new drummer, who turns out to be an extremely talented blond pixie who is so enamored with playing with these legends that she takes the gig even though all the previous drummers have died on the job.

But the movie just doesn’t careen and stay with you like the original.  It’s almost all retreads. And homages. Certainly worth a watch if you even liked the first one, but a disappointment if you were expecting anything really new. Or old.